Banknote dispensing apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for dispensing banknotes from a store (10) of banknotes to a receipt opening (11) accessible to a customer comprises first conveying means (13-14) for conveying banknotes to a magazine or collecting space (15), and second conveying means (16-17) for conveying the collected banknotes to the receipt opening (11). 
     The apparatus also comprises a first keyboard (21) into which an order for the number of banknotes desired or the sum required can be inserted; a card reader (23) located adjacent the first keyboard (21); a second keyboard (22) located adjacent the card reader (23) at a location considerably further from the first keyboard (21) than the card reader (23), the individual code of the customer being entered through this second keyboard; and an electronic unit (24) for controlling the outfeed of banknotes in response to activation of the two keyboards (21,22) and activation of the card reader (23) by the customer. The electronic unit (24) is so designed that in order to activate the first conveying means (13-14) it is first necessary to activate the first keyboard (21) and the card reader (23), while in order to activate the second conveying means (16-17) it is also necessary to activate the second keyboard (22).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing banknotes,and more particularly for dispensing banknotes from a store of banknotesto a receipt opening arranged in said apparatus and accessible to aclient. The apparatus comprises first conveyor means, for conveyingbanknotes for said store to a collecting chamber, and second conveyormeans, for conveying banknotes from the collecting chamber to thereceipt opening.

BACKGROUND ART

An apparatus of this kind is disclosed, for example, in Swedish PatentSpecification No. 7711412-2, which describes a dispensing apparatushaving a further receipt opening and in which the second conveying meansis electronically controlled in a manner such that when a cashier orcustomer orders banknotes to be dispensed, banknotes collected in thecollecting chamber are conveyed therefrom to the receipt openingselected by the cashier or the customer when ordering said banknotes tobe dispensed.

Banknote dispensing apparatus are previously known in which a customeris required to take certain steps in sequence, in order to obtain hismoney; the customer is required to insert a bankers card--a specificcard for the transaction desired--to insert a personal code on akeyboard, insert the sum desired--receipt the withdrawal on thekeyboard--remove the bankers card--and finally remove the banknotesadvanced by the apparatus.

Experience has shown that because of their particular construction theyare relatively slow in completing a transaction and can readily causequeues to form. The object of the present invention is to eliminate theaforementioned disadvantages, by providing an apparatus able to carryout a transaction in a relatively short period of time, which is ofsimple construction and easy to use.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In an apparatus of the afore-described kind having a store of banknotes,first and second conveying means and one or more receipt openings, thereis provided a first keyboard for entering the number of banknotesrequired or the sum desired, a card reader, a second keyboard forinserting the code alloted to the individual making the order, and anelectronic unit for controlling the whole mechanism, said electronicunit being so designed that in order to activate the first conveyingmeans it is necessary for a client to have manipulated the firstkeyboard and to have activated the card reader, while in order toactivate the second conveying means it is necessary for the client toalso manipulate the second keyboard.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described more in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 illustrates schematically conveying means etc. arranged in aknown banknote dispensing apparatus,

FIG. 2 illustrates part of the external construction of an apparatusaccording to the invention, and

FIG. 3 illustrates the electronical control units in more detail.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

As will be seen from FIG. 1, the external design of a dispensingapparatus according to the invention, illustrated by way of example inFIG. 2, includes a store 10 of banknotes, a first conveying means 13,14for conveying banknotes from the store 10 to a collecting chamber 15,and a second conveying means 15-16 for conveying a bundle of banknotesfrom the collecting chamber 15 to a receipt opening or to one of tworeceipt openings 11 and 12, via respective further conveying means 17and 18. It is assumed in the following that two receipt openings 11 and12 respective are provided, and hence two pulpits shown in FIG. 2 arearranged side by side, and that banknotes are supplied from a singlestore 10. A separate store space 19 is arranged to receive bundledbanknotes which shall not be conveyed to a receipt opening.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the pulpit-like device has a clearly visiblesign panel 20, on which information can be given to the effect that theapparatus is ready for use. (If the apparatus is not ready for use, thesign panel 20 can be made to show information confirming the nearestavailable dispensor.) A first keyboard 21 has three relatively largebuttons 300, 500 and 1000 respectively. Arranged beneath the firstkeyboard 21 is a card reader 23 having a narrow elongate slot 231, theinput end 2311 of which faces the keyboard 21 and the other end 2312 ofwhich faces a second keyboard 22 and a receipt opening 11.

The aforementioned units are caused to co-act mechanically andelectrically by means of an electronic unit 24, hereinafter described indetail with reference to FIG. 3, to which control lines extend from thekeyboards and the card reader and which is connected by means of linesto requisite conveying means (see FIG. 1), identifying means, countermeans etc, such means being known per se and used in similarconnections.

The aforedescribed apparatus has the following mode of operation. Acustomer approaches the apparatus while holding his bankers card, seesimmediately on the sign panel 20 that the apparatus is ready for use,and presses one of the large buttons of the keyboard 21, for example thebutton "500", meaning in this case that the customer wishes to withdraw500 Swedish Crowns. It is assumed in the following that the banknotescontained in the store 10 have the value of 100 Sw.Crs. and thus in thiscase five banknotes will be dispensed.

The 500-button will immediately light up, in acknowledgement of thecustomer's order. The customer than draws his bankers card through thecard reader 23 in the direction shown by the large arrow. The customerthen inserts his personal code on the second keyboard 22, andimmediately the last digit of the code has been inserted a bundle ofbanknotes containing 500 Sw.Crs. is dispensed to the receipt opening 11located to the right of the second keyboard. The time taken betweenordering the sum and receiving the same is less than 10 seconds.

When one of the buttons on the first keyboard 21 is pressed, a signal issent to the electronic unit 24, and one of three conditions necessaryfor dispensing the banknotes is fulfilled. Certain preparations takeplace in the apparatus, but none of the conveying means has yet started.

When a valid bankers card is drawn through the card reader 23, a secondsignal passes to the electronic unit 24, and two of the three necessaryconditions are now fulfilled. The first conveying means 13-14 is thenstarted, and a bundle of banknotes is collected in the collectingchamber 15.

When the correct personal code is inserted on the second keyboard 22, athird signal passes to the electronic unit, and all three conditionsnecessary for dispensing the banknotes are fulfilled. The secondconveying means 16-17 starts up, and the banknotes ordered are presentin the receipt opening 11 before the customer has time to lift his handfrom the keyboard.

If the customer wishes to change his or her order, this can be donebefore inserting the personal code, namely by pressing one of the otherbuttons on the first keyboard, whereupon the light on the button firstpressed is extinguished, and the second button illuminated. It must bementioned in this connection that the first keyboard can comprise tenbuttons, numbered from 0 to 9, to enable a selected sum to be insertedwithin a pre-determined maximum amount. It may also be convenient toprovide a correction button, through which the effect of previousactions can be erased.

If, for some reasons or other, no personal code is inserted, or if thecode inserted is wrong, the bundle of banknotes is moved, after apre-determined length of time, e.g. 15 seconds, from the collectingchamber 15 to the storage space 19, the light in the previously pressedbutton ("500") being extinguished, and the apparatus being ready for useby the next customer.

As will be understood, the apparatus may also be provided with aprinting mechanism operative in printing a receipt for each transactionmade. Printing of the receipt is suitably done at the same time as thefirst conveying means starts up, the receipt passing to the receiptopening together with the banknotes from the collecting chamber.

The high speed at which the apparatus according to the inventionoperates is due partly to the logically correct construction andfunctioning of the apparatus, and also as a result of a change inattitude from the bank towards the customer; the bank relies upon thecustomer and assumes that the customer has the right to withdraw money.This enables the dispensing procedure within the apparatus to startearlier, namely immediately when the bankers card has been drawn throughthe card reader, and thus before inserting the personal code. Thisprocedure alone enables the time taken to carry out earlier functions tobe more than halved.

The described construction also eliminates the necessity of providingrelatively large display means, instructing how the apparatus inquestion shall be used, these instructions often being of a relativelycomplicated nature requiring constant checks to be made, all of whichresults in loss of time. As will be understood, the apparatus accordingto the invention may also be provided with two indicating lampsarranged, for example, to blink when it is time to carry out aninstruction. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of such small indicatinglamps, here referenced 261-265. The lamp 261 has the form of a pointingfinger and is located beneath the sign panel 20, adjacent the keyboard21. This lamp continues to flash until a customer has pushed one of thebuttons on the first keyboard 21. When the lamp 261 is extinguished, thelamp 262 lights up, and shows the large arrow between the keyboard 21and the card reader 23. When the customer has drawn his or her cardthrough the card reader, the lamp 262 is extinguished and the lamp 263illuminated, in the form of a flashing arrow, adjacent the secondkeyboard 22. When the customer has inserted his personal code, the lamp263 is extinguished and the lamp 264 illuminated, said lamp having theform a hand grasping a bundle of banknotes adjacent the receipt opening25. When the customer withdraws the banknotes from the receipt opening,the lamp 264 is extinguished and, after a short space of time, the lamp261 beneath the sign panel 20 lights up. If, for some reason or other,no banknotes are dispensed, the lamp 265 lights up, said lamp having theform of a bundle of banknotes with a wide dash drawn thereacross,located beneath the lamp 264 adjacent the receipt opening 11.

As will be understood from the aforegoing, the natural sequence ofoperations comprises: inserting the sum desired, reading the bankerscard, and inserting the personal code. Should this sequence be changedin any way, however, for example is begun with the insertion of thepersonal code, this will not prevent the apparatus from functioning. Itwill be understood, however, that the condition on which the firstconveying means will not start until the first keyboard and the cardreader have been activated must still be fulfilled, while the secondconveying means will not start until the first keyboard, the secondkeyboard and the card reader have been activated.

Although the apparatus has been described and illustrated with respectto a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that many modificationscan be made within the scope of the following claims, for example, thestore 10 may comprise a plurality of part stores, of which the majoritycontain 100-crowns-banknotes and one or more of the bundles contains1000-crowns-banknotes, all in accordance with the technology illustratedand described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,253.

It will also be understood that the customer pulpit need not have thedesign illustrated in FIG. 2, in order for the apparatus to operatesmoothly. For example, the sign panel 20, may occupy a large part of theleft-hand portion of the upper, sloping front portion of the pulpit; thefirst keyboard 21 may be placed to the right of the sign panel 20, leveltherewith; the card reader 23 may be placed furthest to the right on thefront of the pulpit, slightly below the keyboard 21; and the secondkeyboard 22 may be placed on the substantially horizontal table, beneathand slightly to the left of the card reader; while the receipt opening25 may be located to the right of the card reader, approximatelyimmediately beneath the card reader 23, and optionally sunk into thetable. In a pulpit of this design, the card reader will still be locatedclose to the first keyboard 21, and the second keyboard 22 will belocated close to the card reader 23 and will be spaced further from thefirst keyboard 21 than the card reader 23.

In the aforegoing it has been assumed that the card reader 23 is of thekind with which the customer passes his bankers card through the readerwithout releasing his or her grip in the card. As will be understood,however, card readers which require the card to be fed thereinto andwhich then await the completion of the card-reading sequence beforereturning the card can be also be used. ;p By using a sign panel whichis larger than the keyboards and the card reader, and by placing thekeyboards and card reader in relation to one another in the mannerdescribed in the aforegoing, the customer will be influenced to use theapparatus in an optimal fashion, so that banknotes are dispensed withthe ease intended.

The operational mode of the electronic unit 24 will be described withreference to FIG. 3, which illustrates the essential parts of the unitand the electronic circuits.

The banknotes are fed from the store 10 by means of a feed wheel 31,arranged to feed a banknote from a bundle of banknotes for eachrevolution of the wheel. The wheel 31 is mounted on a shaft 32 driven bya motor 33. It should be observed that the drawing is greatlysimplified, and is only intended to illustrate the principalconstruction and functioning of the apparatus. The collecting means 15of the illustrated embodiment is provided with a pivotable, rectangularbottom 37, mounted on a shaft 48. when the ordered number of banknoteshas been dispensed correctly from the store 10, the bottom 47 is held ina substantially horisontal position. If, for some reason or other, alarger number of banknotes than that ordered is dispensed, the bottom 47is swung to a vertical position, by an electric drive means or motor 50,whereafter the banknotes fall down into the container or storage space19.

As before mentioned, the collecting means 15 forms a second conveyingmeans, and comprises an endless belt 16, extending around rollers 44,45having substantially vertical shafts. One roller, 44, is driven by meansof a reversible motor 46, so that when two receipt openings 11,12 areprovided, the direction in which the rollers 44,45 rotate, can bechanged. Located between the collecting means 15 and the receipt opening12 and the receipt opening 11 are provided further conveying means 18and 17 respectively. Each of these further conveying means comprises twomutually co-acting endless belts, and it is assumed hereinafter thatthese conveying means are driven continuously, as are also two rollers14 which are arranged to rotate anticlockwise and transfer one banknoteat a time to the collecting means 15 from the belts 34,35 of theconveying means 13, said belts being driven by rollers 46,47.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first keyboard 21 comprises threeorder buttons, labelled 300, 500 and 1000 respectively. When pressing,for example, the button 500, a signal indicating the value 500 is sentover a line 51 to a memory store 52, which stores the signal, i.e. thevalue 500, said signal having, for example, the form of a pulse train.As will be understood, corresponding lines are provided between thebuttons 300 and 1000 respectively and the memory store 52. The signal500 appears on the output of the memory store 52, and is fed to oneinput of a gating circuit 54. The signal from the first keyboard 21 isalso fed over a line 55 to a counter circuit 53, and sets the counter tothe value 5, since five banknotes each having a value of 100 shall bedispensed. The signal is sent further from the keyboard 21 over line 57,indicating that a dispensing order has been received from the pulpit(FIG. 2), having the receipt opening 11, and this signal is received bya control circuit 36, which is constructed so that the belt 16 of theassociated drive motor will be driven in the correct direction, i.e. adirection which the bundle of banknotes will be fed to the receiptopening 11.

The customer then inserts his bankers card in the card reader 23, whichis of conventional design, and, for example, is arranged to read amagnetically recorded code characteristic of the customer, and sendsthis code over a line 60 to second memory store 61, in which the code isstored. The memory store 61 sends the information read from the card toa comparitor 62. The customer then inserts his or her code number on thekeyboard 22, and the code read-off is fed to the comparitor 62, over aline 63. If the code received from the card reader 23 and the codeinserted agree with oneanother, an all-clear signal is generated on line64. If there is no agreement, an error signal is generated on line 65.

When the card reader has sent its signal to the memory store 61, thememory store generates a "received"-signal on line 66, and this signalopens the gate 54, which feeds a signal over line 67, through a startcircuit 68, which is opened when the counter 53 receives its signal.This signal is sent from the start circuit to the line 58 and motors 83and 38. The motor 33 feeds banknotes one at a time, and the motor 38drives the belts 34 and 35, which between them feed the banknotes to themagazine or collecting means. Each banknote fed from the store 10 iscounted by the means 40, which may have the form of an optoelectricmeans and for each banknote counted a counting pulse of given amplitudeis sent over line 59 to the counter 53, which counts backwards. Whenfive banknotes have been counted, the counter 53 is at 0 and sends aclosing signal to the start circuit 68. In the illustrated and assumedembodiment, five banknotes now rest on the belt 16 and are carried bythe plate 47. At the same time as the signal is sent to the startcircuit 68, the counter circuit 53 sends a signal to the control circuit56, over line 69, and there will start the reversible motor 46, andprovided the comparitor has sent an all-clear signal over line 64, anactivating signal is sent to the motor 56, which starts the belt 16,causing the bundle of banknotes to be moved to the receipt opening 11.If the comparitor 62 generates an error signal, the circuit 56 is notopened, and the error signal is sent instead to the motor 15 over line55, said motor causing the bottom 47 to fall, so that the banknotescannot be reached by the customer.

The comparitor 62 also includes a clock circuit 70, which, when one ofthe buttons on the keyboard 21 is pressed, is started by means of asignal on line 71, and which, if the transaction has not been completedwithin a given length of time, for example 40 seconds, sends disengagingsignals over line 72 to the memory stores 52 and 61 and to the motor 50,so as to set the whole system to zero.

I claim:
 1. An apparatus for dispensing banknotes from a store (10) of banknotes to a receipt opening (10) arranged in the apparatus and accessible to a client, said apparatus comprising first conveying means (13-14) for conveying banknotes from the store (10) to a collecting chamber (15) and second conveying means (16-17) for conveying the collected banknotes from the collecting chamber (15) to the receipt opening (11), characterized by a first keyboard (21) for disclosing the number of banknotes required or the sum required; a card reader (23) located adjacent the first keyboard (21); a second keyboard (22) arranged adjacent the card reader (23) at a location substantially further from the first keyboard (21) than the card reader (23), and on which the individual code of the customer is to be inserted; and an electronic unit (24) for controlling the outfeed of banknotes from the store (10) to the receipt opening (11) in response to activation of the two keyboards (21,22) and activation of the card reader (23) by the customer, the electronic unit (24) being so designed that it is necessary for the customer to have activated the first keyboard (21) and the card reader (23) in order for the first conveying means (13-14) to be activated, and that it is necessary for the second keyboard (22) to have been activated in order for the second conveying means (16-17) to be activated.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the card reader (23) has a narrow, elongate slot (231), whose one end (2311) through which part of a bankers card shall be inserted faces the first keyboard (21), and its other end (2312) faces the second keyboard (22). 